News General News

Anna Hasselborg powered through the Curling Champions Tour’s Stockholm Ladies Curling Cup on home ice in Sweden to capture her second title of the season.

Hasselborg completed an undefeated 7-0 run through the tournament with a 6-2 win over Scotland’s Hannah Fleming in Sunday’s final.

Team Hasselborg took two points in the first end and doubled their lead with back-to-back single steals in two and three.

Fleming struggled in the first half as her draw shot with her last in the second was just an inch off the mark as Hasselborg sat shot.

Hasselborg put the pressure on again in the third as Fleming faced three counters prior to her final rock. Fleming made a double takeout, however, her shooter rolled out and Hasselborg’s third stone that was just biting at the top of the rings remained untouched to score.

Fleming got onto the board in the fourth end with an open draw into the paint for a single.

An odd moment opened the fifth end as Team Fleming lead Vicky Wright’s first rock just made it past the hog line to stay in play, however, she had thrown one of Team Hasselborg’s stones by mistake. After determining the stone had indeed crossed the line, it was switched out with one of their own.

Fleming cut the deficit to 4-2 with a steal in six when Hasselborg came up light on the draw with her last. Hasselborg bounced back in the seventh making her draw shot in to count another deuce and handshakes commenced.

Hasselborg, third Sara McManus, second Agnes Knochenhauer and lead Sofia Mabergs were in top form all week finishing the round-robin portion with a 4-0 record and defeating Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones’ team, skipped by Kaitlyn Lawes, 5-4 and Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland 6-3 to reach the championship game.

Team Hasselborg claimed the Oakville OCT Fall Classic last month in Canada.

Fleming also went 4-0 through round-robin play and scored wins over Japan’s Ayumi Ogasawara and EunJung Kim of South Korea to advance to the final.

Earlier Sunday, Niklas Edin of Sweden earned his second title of the season as well by capturing the Swiss Cup Basel in Switzerland.

Edin scored three in the third, two in the sixth and held on to defeat David Murdoch of Scotland 5-4 in the final.

Team Edin won the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard last month in Canada.

Edin squeezed into the playoffs via the C brackets of the triple knockout preliminary round and earned a 4-3 victory over Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, skipped by Mark Nichols, in the quarterfinals and edged Scotland’s Kyle Smith 5-4 in the semifinals.